The Other Lips
by clash17
Summary: This is a story about the other lips Gale is kissing after he leaves for District 2. For those who think Gale deserves better than MJ ending. True Gale fan. Love story
1. Chapter 1

The nightingale's sweet melody wakes him like every morning. He brushes off the sleep from his eyes with his hands and mentally prepares for another day in District 2. Five and a half have passed since he first moved here but still, it's hard for him to call this place home, even though he doesn't have one anywhere else. Gale gets up from his bed and moves his feet to the shower. Cold water pours down his back as he slightly shivers. It's still dark outside; in a couple of hours the sun will rise and bring warmth to the house. Not to Gale, who has only one thing on his mind: hunting. This is why he wakes up so early every morning. He gets dressed and after a fast breakfast he retrieves his bow and a sheath of arrows from the closet and heads out to the woods that start right at the back of his wooden cabin. This is where he feels alive, the only place that gives him peace. His coldness partially dissolves. His soul belongs there. He doesn't really need to hunt in terms of food supplies. He has a "fancy" job now, he is in charge of the security of the rural area of District 2 where he is currently living, a well paid position which provides for him and for his family, also living in District 2 but in another village closer to schools and with more inhabitants and facilities. He does it out of habit, for his own sanity. After the hunting trip, as every morning, he goes to work to the Headquarters of the Security Department. It takes him half an hour on foot to reach the offices where usually he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. It's easier for him to be busy, he avoids down time for himself, when he actually might risk to take a step back and allow himself a trip through the depths of his soul, so heavy yet so empty. He doesn't think. He doesn't remember. He just does. Whatever, whenever. His job requires somebody just ad dedicated as he is, but his duties as security chief of the area are not enough for his likings. He specifically requested a cabin without most f the comforts other houses provide in the district. This way he has an actual reason to cut the logs for the fire which he lights every evening even if he has a stove, he stocks food supplies for winter even though in the near town there is a rather big market, he even built some of his own furniture and eats the game he hunts. But he can't stop. He has to do something if he wants to stay sane. As a result, his social life isn't exactly thriving, he gets on well with most f his coworkers and his bosses but has nobody he could call a friend. He had one. Then she became something more. And he eventually ended up losing his friend and his lover while killing her little sister. Nobody can really say that's the truth, but still, that's what _she_ thinks and nothing else matters. Not that he has been completely away from the company of women during these long months. He's had lovers of one night only, that have helped him forget, that have numbed the constant, chronic pain for an hour or two. He has broken many hearts, girls have fallen for him. They know that what they are having with him is a one night stand, maybe if they are lucky he could sleep with them twice, but nothing more. They know it going in, but they still think they can change him, make him actually _care_ for them, but each and every one of them is proved wrong the morning after, when they wake up to a cold, empty bed. The only people Gale cares about are his mother and his siblings. Rory is now eighteen and studies engineering while Vick is fifteen and attends high school. Then there is Posy, the apple of Gale's eyes. She is six and she brings pure joy to his life every time they visit or he goes over their house. It is Posy whom he is thinking about on his way to work, how much he misses her and her artwork the she proudly shows him when he's home.

"Good Morning Hawthorne"

"Hello, good morning Dan, how was your week end?" Gale flatly asks as he walks into the office. Not that he cares, really.

"Good, you know. We actually went out with the guys on Saturday. One time I swear you'll come with us. You have no idea how entertaining Colt gets when he's drunk. Especially when he tries to chat hot girls up" he says laughing. Gale smiles too ."We are going next Wednesday too, if you want to come you are welcome" Dan adds.

"Yeah, you know I think I'll pass"

"As you wish Hawthorne. We all know you don't really need booze and lame chat up lines to get chicks into your bed but you could teach some of us moves..." Gale grimaces at the joke.

"You and people from District 4...Let's get to the serious stuff, it's going to be a long week. Why are you in here so early anyway?"

"I'm organizing everything for the hospital project and it's a mess. I hate doctors, I hate hospitals, I hate those bastards that say scary things that I don't understand" he mumbles.

"Good thing you are the head of the health department, then" Gale chuckles.

"Right right" Dan shrugs. "Today you are meeting with the doctor that Bayle has chosen to help us with the building process and he is going to be a consultant with the rest of this shit. His name is Jordan Reven and should be here in a couple of minutes" Dan and Gale have been working together for the construction of the new local hospital for a couple of months now. Dan is originally from district 4 and was a rebel during the war. After it ended he moved to 2 when he was offered his current position at the Security Headquarters. He is older than Gale by a couple of years. Gale likes him after all, dirty jokes and constant teasing apart.

"Alright then, I'm going to look at some stuff and when the guy arrives send him to me. Have you met him yet?"

"No, this is our first meeting with him. Ok, I'll catch up with you later Hawthorne. Good luck".

"Ok and please keep everybody away from us today, we have tons of things to do and we need to work on hospital stuff and can't afford to waste any time. I don't want Bayle to yell at us"

"Ok _boss_". Gale is not Dan's boss but he certainly _is _bossy and not really welcoming towards people that interfere with his work. "You know you could really use a drink to relax a little" Dan smirks.

"See you later" says Gale as he enters his office not minding the remark.

He starts looking at the various projects and documents messily organised on his desk. Gale is a real hard worker, but the hospital project is something he really cares about. Maybe he looks at it as a redemption opportunity. Hospital rhymes with Prim in his mind. Blonde tiny Prim who dreamt to be a doctor one day. His trail of thoughts is suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in" Gale says.

The first thing he notices is a blonde mane of hair. It gracefully falls on the shoulders of a girl who is shyly raising a smile. As she opens her mouth to speak Gale interrupts her.

"I'm sorry, I'm very busy, I'm waiting for someone for a very important meeting and I don't have time for whatever you are here to talk about, you can speak to Mrs. Bloomsbury when she gets here if you want but you need to leave" he says without even looking at her, his eyes fixed on the paperwork in front of him.

"I am..."

"You know, I don't really care who you are, I am scheduled to meet Doctor Jordan Reven right about now and I can't talk to you, sorry!" That is when he finally raises his head from the desk and looks at her paying a little more attention. She is fairly tall and very feminine looking and she is no older than twentyfive, like Gale. She is wearing a white silk blouse that shows a little cleavage and a light pink pleated skirt that covers her legs down to her knees. Her figure, skin complexion and eye colour (emerald green) scream District 2. She tries to talk when Gale shuts her off again.

"Look, I don't know you and I'm sorry, I might have kissed you in a bar or even brought you home with me one night and I don't remember, but this is where I work and I can't do this now, this has happened before and has put me in a very uncomfortable position with my co-workers, so please leave" he says exasperated. He needs to be thinking about Prim and his hospital, not his one night stands.

Silence.

"Girls really come all the way here to try to talk to an asshole like you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm doctor Jordan Reven, nice to meet you" she says as she reaches out her hand to shake Gale's.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone J this is my first fanfiction and I have a lot planned for it! Reviews and comments are very well appreciated, let me know if you like it. Thank you for reading.**

Gale was petrified. Jordan. He and all the other colleagues were expecting a man, not this very girly girl. Pretty girl, quite angelic looking girl.

"You know, I am not that surprised to be honest, nobody pictures a girl when somebody says 'doctor', especially when you bear a male first name, but still, you though I was one on your _ladies_?" she says with an amused tone and in a distinct district 2 accent.

"I am sorry" Gale slowly says but his mind is running a hundred miles an hour. How could Bayle, his boss, think that this District 2 brat could be fit for the job? He needs to get rid of her as soon as possible and find somebody with actual experience. Is she even a doctor? With real medical training? They need somebody strong, tough, ready to venture in the rural areas of the district to bring healthcare to the population impoverished by the war. District 2 was a rich area of Panem but war hit hard, especially because most people weren't used to hunger and destitute. In some areas the rebuilding has not been completed yet, and that's where Gale and his team are planning to operate.

"I thought of a man in the first place because of your name, never mind" he says while shaking her hand. She has a surprisingly strong grip. "Please sit". Jordan awkwardly looks around and then sits down in front of Gale.

_Did she really just call me asshole? Well, I had just implied she was an easy girl._

"I am sorry for the, eh, misunderstanding, Doctor" he mutters while scrambling for her file. He had read her resume a week before and was very impressed by it, he remembers. She must be a fraud or something.

"I know exactly what you are thinking" she says directly after a moment of silence, her eyes piercing through Gale's. " Who is this girl?" she goes on " does she even know what we are doing here? Is she playing with us? Is that her real resume? Well, yes, and I know precisely what my tasks will be for this job and I know I am more than fit for it. Just tell me what needs to be done and we can get started without wasting any more time, I think you made it very clear that that's what you want, right?"

Boy isn't she straight forward.

"You are a…trauma surgeon"

"Yes"

"And you've… worked before…in emergency situations". Gale sounds very skeptical while she is getting more and more impatient.

"Look, I have been hired by Bayle and I am planning to start today. We are setting up the clinic in the Warloo area and I also wanted to talk to you about a temporary ER before the actual hospital is built"

Gale doesn't speak. He wants the best for his hospital. For Prim's hospital. He is not settling with a twenty-five year girl that looks like she is ready to run away at the sight of a droplet of blood. He needs someone else for the job.

"Are you even listening?" She yells.

"Bayle warned me" she adds looking at Gale's frown. " I thought he was wrong but, turns out, he wasn't" she sights and slightly smiles.

"About what?" Gale says.

"About you. He told me you would behave like a jerk today and that you wouldn't think I was the best choice for this. You are probably thinking how to let me go and find somebody else but, let me tell you, I _am _the best because I actually _care_. I care about the people and I care about the hospital. We need to go to Warloo where there is a measles epidemic that can't spread to other areas otherwise it's going to be a mess. You and you colleagues are stuck with me, now let's move!" Gale is hesitant. What does she know about Warloo, the poorest area of 2, or the epidemics there, or the famines? She looks like she just walked straight out of one of the penthouses on the main streets of Aileas, the biggest, richest town of 2. But she is right, they need to get going. If Bayle picked her maybe she knows what she's doing. Maybe.

"Let's go".


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, chapter 3 is up! Please be kind and leave a review, I'd like to know what you are thinking about the story! This is my first fanfiction and I need feedback! Thank you very much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games**

Gale doesn't know why he agreed to this. Maybe because there was something in the way she talked to him that felt right. She really cares, you can sense that. But caring isn't enough for this tough job. They step out of Gale's office to find a very amused Dan.

"Dan, this is Doctor Reven." Gale introduces Jordan to him. "Doctor Reven, this is Dan Gallnell".

"Nice to meet you. You can call me Jordan, we are probably the same age"

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Jordan." He looks at Gale and tries to contain a laugh. She notices this and says "I see that everybody is surprised to see someone wearing a skirt today".

After that awkward moment they leave for a survey in Warloo. They will be riding jeeps and it takes about forty five minutes to get there. There is no road and the path is completely covered in mud due to the recent floods. It's not going to be a pleasant journey. Especially considering that Gale is fuming. After the trip he will call Bayle and make sure he knows he is not very pleased, to say the least, with his choice.

_What is he trying to do, sabotage me? He knows how important this is to me, to the people who need the hospital. _

They get into the cars. Gale, Dan, Jordan and Colt get in one, other two, heavy with supplies, water and drugs, following. Colt drives while the others are silent. Colt works at the office and helps with everything that needs to be done. He is from district 2 originally and he is known for his drinks and his cheerful attitude, mostly because he is drunk most of the time. He is short and slightly bald and sports earrings on both of his lobes. Dan and Jordan take the backseats. After some uncomfortable minutes of silence Colt makes and attempt at small talk with the newcomer.

"So, you are the doctor, girl?" Jordan nods. She doesn't care to be nice. She is too mad about the way she was "welcomed" at work. _I can't believe Johanna didn't talk to him before. She said she would._

"You from district 2?" Another nod that Colt sees in the rear view mirror. "Ya know, I'm from 2 too" he laughs at his rather silly joke. Needless to say, he is the only one. "Where exactly?" This time she won't get away with a nod.

"Northern Aileas" she answers, casually looking at the window. Colt whistles. "A girl from there on the road towards Warloo? This must be a first!"

"Yeah, today has been all about firsts apparently" Jordan says looking at Gale and catching his eye roll.

"I thought people from there had enough money to go to the moon or something". Jordan doesn't say anything. "Lots of career kids used to come from there, are you from a career family?"

"No" Jordan whispers while still looking away.

"You are a lucky girl. You are one lucky girl. I always wondered what life was like for people like you. What about your folks? Are they happy you are working here? Why do you even do that, by the way, it's not like you need to" Colt coarsely laughs filling the stiff air of the car with his alcohol breath.

_Yes, why is she doing this? Can't she go back to her precious life?_

"It's got to be quite a change from there to here" Dan adds.

"Exactly my point" Jordan says, this time staring at her hands resting on her lap. She didn't want to talk about her parents or her brother or the many reasons she picked a medical career and this specific job. Too many memories, from before the war and during it. Colt would be surprised to know she isn't that lucky after all.

They spend the rest of the car drive in silence occasionally interrupted by Colt's cursing due to the muddy path. They come to a stop right at the entrance of Warloo. They get out of the cars while the other two are pulling in. People start passing boxes, supplies, sacks, all the things they brought to the poor inhabitants of the village. Jordan looks around surveying the area while Dan, Colt and Gale are taking something from the trunk of the jeep, talking in hushed voices.

"Are we going to give one to her too?" Dan asks

"Oh, _please_! I don't think she's ever touched a syringe, let alone one of these" Gale scoffs.

"What are we going to do then, she can't go in unarmed!"

"She will stay behind us during the visit, it's not like she was going to do something anyway" Gale says.

"Guns?!" Jordan has reached them and is looking bewildered at what the other three are loading. "Why do you think you need guns? We have come here to help them, not to shoot them" she says in a raised voice.

"That's very naïve . You should know that once-wealthy villages that have suffered a significant crisis after the war tend to be rather unfriendly toward the new government, and that's a nice way to put it. Violent would be a more appropriate word." Gale says in an annoyed tone.

"But that's because you go there with weapons! They feel in danger and then they get defensive! You have to leave them here!".

"Sweetie, a guy of ours came back from here with a bullet in his leg three weeks ago" Colt tries to reason with her.

"They already have trust issues toward the government, do you think that you going in with guns will somehow sort them out?" she is yelling at this point but they can't risk to be heard by Warloo people. Gale grips her arm and shoves her against the car. Jordan is taken aback and looks at him with shock mixed with anger and bewilderment. _How dare he?_

"Now, you listen to me, you know nothing, this is your first day and you do what we tell you to do. This is dangerous, serious work, not a stupid Aileas diversion. You follow our lead and stay behind and, most of all, keep your mouth shut. I will not let you put any of us or yourself in a dangerous situation, am I clear?" To say he is mad is probably an understatement.

Dan and Colt are looking at the ground. You can tell they are shocked too by Gale's impulsiveness and forceful methods. He has always been very protective of his people and work but maybe this time he might have crossed the line. Nobody talks, even the other people have stopped to look at the two of them who are gazing at each other. If looks could kill.

"Get your hands off of me" she hisses, freezing the air.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, here is chapter 4! Thank you to the two "guests" that reviewed my story, I really appreciate it. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think about this fanfic! Enjoy!**

He slowly lets her out of his grip. What did he do? He loosens his fingers around her wrist and, after a moment, quickly turns away and starts pacing towards the village entrance. Colt and Dan share a quick glance. Jordan is raging. But there is an image that still flashes in front of her eyes. A pair of silver eyes on fire. She blinks and after a deep breath she follows the others. This is not the time or the place to discuss what just happened. Also, she isn't completely sure of what just happened either. She needs a moment to process it. Did he really push her against the car? Maybe her mind made it up. She has always had a wild imagination. But the redness around her wrist suggests that it did happen. As her breathing calms down they enter the village. She is walking between Colt and Dan while Gale and other people are ahead. They walk thought the huts and the State issued prefabricated buildings. People stand at the doorstep of their houses as they watch the squad pile up the supplies in the square. They don't move, they will take them when they are gone. They are certainly happy about the food and the potable water, but they still look at the workers and the new government as the reason of their economic downfall. Jordan looks around frantically, as if she is looking for something or someone, turning around. Dan sees her moving and whispers to her.

"Is something wrong?"

She doesn't pay him any attention, as she continues to scan the place.

"Oh, there you are!" she says as she grins, after a moment. She starts walking towards a specific hut and she makes sure she moves quickly enough so that Dan won't catch her.

"Stop! Where are you going?" he hisses. He doesn't want to raise his voice or make sudden movements that might alarm the village watching them. This is an extremely delicate operation. Guns are loaded and fingers are on the triggers. Jordan continues walking as Dan steps towards her in an attempt to stop her. Gale is a few feet ahead but his hunter's hearing picks up a fast pace. He turns right and immediately sees Jordan leaving the group and heading towards a house. His hand finds his gun in a second. Dan is quickly following, clearly trying to catch her before she gets herself and the others into big trouble. Gale starts moving too, but he and Dan both know that they can't run or show any sign of worry or tension. That may cost them a bullet from the wary people of the village. Suddenly, a man comes out of the hut. He is very tall, surprisingly brawny considering that he lives in Warloo. He is sporting a thick, long, brown beard and a frown, his eyebrows almost touching each other on his forehead. He and Jordan walk towards each other and, as they get closer and closer, the man opens his big, strong arms and rushes towards her. Gale and Dan freeze for a split second, recover in an instant, and raise their guns pointing them towards the man. But something unexpected happens. Jordan and the man hug. It wasn't one of those long, loving hugs. It was a quick hug, I'm-happy-to-see-you-but-now-let's-get-to-the-serious-stuff kind of hug.

"I see you brought a bunch of helpers this time" he says looking at Gale and Dan still pointing their guns at him.

Jordan turns around and sees them with their weapons.

"What do you think you are doing? Put them down!" she says, quite annoyed.

"What do _you_ think you are doing?" Gale says, getting closer to the duo. "You can't do whatever passes through your mind without thinking, endangering other people"

"Oh, that makes two of us, then" she says, referring to their previous episode. Gale stays silent. He had never lost his temper with, let alone push, any of his colleagues or a girl. And Jordan was both. "Anyways, Rohan is a friend of mine so I'd really appreciate if you lowered your guns. " After a moment of consideration he and Dan do so.

"So, how is everybody doing?" she asks Rohan as they walk into the house.

"The last one healed completely last week, but we are not letting them out of the house yet" he answers.

"Good call. Now your family is officially done with mumps! That's great news! Plus, your kids were used as a vaccine for other children, so there's a silver lining to the whole thing. No more mumps in Warloo!"

"There has to be one positive thing after your five sons get mumps one after the other in a month!" he sadly says. "By the way, thank you, we couldn't have done it without you" he says as he hugs her again. She is so tiny, compared to him and he looks like he could squash her any second. Gale and Dan slightly shudder as they take in the scene.

"Can you please tell your friends that we are not going to hurt you? They are looking at me like I'm about to kill you. Since when have you sided with them, by the way?"

"Since today, they are building a hospital in a close area. Plus, they told me someone shot a bullet and hurt one of them, you shouldn't do that."

"They shouldn't have started five and a half years ago, with the war".

Everyone can feel the tension quickly mounting between him and Gale and Dan, three pair of eyes glancing from one to another.

"Let's get inside" Jordan says, trying to avoid a fight, but as she walks in she stops when she sees Dan and Gale following.

"You can't go in unless you've had mumps" she says, with a very serious tone, a doctoring tone.

"Why? We can't let you go all by yourself" Dan says.

"Well, first off you can't go because if you haven't had mumps you could catch them and that would be a risk if you are planning to have a family one day, if you know what I mean. And second of all, I come here all the time by myself"

"You come here?" Colt has reached them. "How? Why?".

"They pick me up with the jeep that the government granted them, I visit the people that need medical care and then they drive me home, as simple as that. Now, if you excuse us, I need to start my rounds, you can wait for me by the cars" she says and she slams the hut's door to their faces.

"Dear God, this girl is gonna be trouble" Colts says and starts laughing uncontrollably.

**Thank you for reading, leave a review, I'd love to know your thoughts on the story!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone, here's another chapter. Make sure to leave a review before you leave. Thank you to those who now follow the story and a special thank you to TheGirlWithTheBrightBlueEyes for her review. I'm glad you are enjoying this, girl! Thank you for reading!**

Gale is lying on his bed. He is exhausted. So many things happened today and he is not particularly pleased with most of them. After they got back from their trip to Warloo he rushed to his office. He didn't call Bayle immediately because he thought he might give him a piece of his mind and it wasn't really the case considering that, after all, he is the boss. He calmed down, taking long breaths and thinking about Posy. She has the ability to calm him down, to ease every anxiety, every worry, to light every burden. His family is his safety blanket. After a few minutes he dialed the number and had a long conversation with his boss who also happened to be his mentor. Bayle is an important figure in Gale's life. A father figure of some sort that gives advice to Gale when he needs it, but is not willing to seek it because he is proud. Gale hates being weak and doesn't want to seem that way. He never blinks or doubts his own judgment. Except for today. Today he wasn't in control. Someone else tampered with his plan.

_"She is a strong, young woman, a very good doctor with interesting ideas. That's exactly what we need" _Bayle said on the phone after Gale told him about their day together. Gale was not even close to being convinced by him and hoped for another reaction when he said that she had admitted that she regularly ventures alone in the suburbs on the district.

_"I don't see how she could help our cause! She is irresponsible and hot headed and could only endanger our work"_

_"I think that today happened quite the opposite. Now we have Warloo's support and trust. She did in a day what we couldn't do in five years. Trust her instincts. Plus, she is good friends with Johanna Mason and you know that that girl is right most of the time about other people"_

_"What!?"_ Gale could hardly picture the two of them together. A prissy girl from 2 and a savage killer, who also happened to be a victor, from 7.

_"She was the one who recommended her for the job, actually"_ How could Johanna be friends with her? He made a mental note to investigate more about their friendship.

A knock on the door of his cabin suddenly bursts Gale's bubble in which he was caught up. He gets up to open the door. Who could it be at ten thirty in the night?

"Gale, there you are!"

"Masha" Gale says without any special intonation. He simply acknowledges her presence. "What brings you here?"

"We were supposed to meet at my place about two hours ago, remember?". She is not mad or surprised by Gale's forgetfulness. This was not the first time he stood her up after all.

_Crap_ . "I am so sorry Masha, I had a terrible day and forgot. How can I make it up to you?" he could use a little "cheer up" after this bad day at work after all.

"Well, I don't know but I _do_ know how to turn this night into a very, very good one. I could make you forget about your crappy day" she says, staring at his lips, in a seductive tone.

Gale is lying on his bed. He is exhausted. Again. But this time he is not alone. Masha is quietly snoring next to him. He probably wouldn't have slept with her if she had shown up yesterday. She is such an easy prey that she willingly walks into the snare. Pathetic. Of course, she was very good looking, very sexy and provocative, but he likes the _hunt_. He likes picking his prey and ensnare her the way he wants, playing at his own game. Masha makes it too boring and meaningless. But tonight he indeed needed her sloppy kisses and vulgar, excessively loud moans. Something to take his mind off from his work. He can't believe that Jordan stood up to him the way she did and that he shoved her against the jeep. Bayle wouldn't be too happy about his behavior if he found out. He also hates the fact that she outsmarted him, that, at the end of the day, she was right about Warloo. He could sense that everybody likes her too, even though during their ride home nobody dared say a word. Dan, Colt, all the others. She is pretty, smart, but most of all, she knows what she wants and grabs it when she wants . And nothing is more attractive than that. Not to Gale, though, who only sees her as a potential threat. She is not trustworthy, impulsive and reckless. She is lucky nothing happened to her in her trips down to the suburbs. Plus, Colt was right, what was her business here? Can't she play doctor with her stupid Northern Aileas pets? _But she did good_, a voice from the back of his head said. Whatever. It is 4:45 am, he isn't getting any sleep so he just decides to get up and start his morning routine. He quietly showers, gets dresses, grabs his bow and game bag and off he goes to the woods. When he gets back with a couple of squirrels and rabbits Masha is still sound asleep. _It's not like she doesn't know the way out _ Gale thinks to himselfwhen he is ready to leave again for work. He slams the front door making sure the noise is loud enough to wake her.

"Good morning Hawthorne" Dan greets him as usual. "God, what happened to you? You look like you haven't slept for a week. No wait, I know exactly what happened to you" he says and bursts out laughing.

"Shut up Dan. My sex life is none of your business" Gale is already in a bad mood.

"Was she at least worth your while?"

"Good morning everyone" a feminine voice greets them before Gale can speak. She's probably heard everything.

"Hello Jordan" Dan says cheerfully. Way too cheerfully if you ask Gale.

"Good morning Doctor Reven. I'd like to talk to you in my office in a couple of minutes. Are you free?" Gale says in a calm and steady voice.

"Sure" she whispers.

**Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it! Please leave a review, I'd like to know your opinions on the story !**


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter is up and one Johanna Mason makes an appearance! What do you guys think about it? Please let me know and enjoy !**

Jordan doesn't know what to expect from her second day at the Security Headquarters. How could she work elbow to elbow with Gale Hawthorne? The guy basically admitted that he can't stand her. He's going to be a nightmare to work with. But he won't stop her plans, she is well determined to build the hospital and the ER and give medical care to those in need. He has Bayle's full support and that's certainly going to help. _For Rupert. _She repeats to herself, like a mantra. She knocks on the door like the day before and waits for a signal.

"Come in" she hears . She steps into the room.

"Please, take a seat" Gale says. He studies her intently. She is wearing a pair of black, close fitting trousers over a pair of short boots and a grey, loose shirt while her hair falls gracefully over her shoulders, the blond color contrasting the dark tones of her clothing. Her eyes convey shyness mixed with curiosity and resentment. All the others including Dan and Colt would agree that she is a sight for sore eyes, but not Gale who despises anything related to the old District 2, the one that enriched itself thanks to their strong alliance with the Capitol. Her eyes do impress him though. Their emerald green pierces through his grey irises but there is also something that reminds him of a little pouting girl.

"Doctor, first off I want to apologize to you about my behavior yesterday" Gale's heart is pounding. God knows how much he hates apologizing to someone. Apologizing means admitting to being wrong and Gale is _never _wrong. He wants to get through this part as soon as possible, he doesn't want to show any signs of weakness. But he knows that if he didn't face the matter directly it would backfire on him and his work. And by now we all know how much Gale worships his work.

Jordan, on the other hand, was not expecting an apology at all. She is very pleasantly surprised by Gale's words. _Maybe he is not completely heartless_. She doesn't know that he's not nearly finished though.

"Now it's your turn" Gale says, after a long pause.

"Excuse me?" she asks, blinking, genuinely not understanding what he means by that.

"To apologize. About yesterday. It's your turn."

Why should I apologize? Last time I checked I didn't shove anyone against cars or point guns at innocent people. I actually _helped_ by giving medical care" she says in a raised voice.

"Oh, please don't!" Gale bursts.

"Don't what?"

"Don't play the doctor card with me! Don't think that because you have graduated from medical school you get to do whatever you want. There are rules for everybody that need to be followed! You need to follow them because, if you don't, somebody gets hurt! You can't leave the group, you can't go to places like Warloo by yourself because it is dangerous! You don't question our use of weapons, which is legitimate, by the way. Does your spoiled District 2 brain understand that or not?" he shouts, breathing heavily. He was so loud that everybody outside heard him clearly.

"It always comes back to that. Always! I think that the real problem here is me being from 2, not my actions from yesterday. Your problem with me is that I didn't starve to death like you and the other people from District 12, that I never went through a reaping fearing to go to the Hunger Games because I always knew that careers would volunteer, that I never had to work in mines or orchards on crop fields, breaking my back, but don't you dare say that my life was easy, because it wasn't. The Capitol and its system owned me the same way it owned you! _I survived_ too, you are not the only fighter here! We all lost a bits of ourselves in the war so don't you dare judge me or my life because you know nothing about it! Nothing!".

The words come out of her mouth without thinking. Everything has happened in a blaze. She looks around and she finds herself standing. When did she get up from the chair? Her throat is aching too. She can feel the taste of blood in it, like after a run in the cold. She must have screamed at the top or her lungs. But most of all, she is surprised by a newfound wetness over her cheeks. Her fingers lightly grace that soft spot of her face to find tears streaming. Gale is looking at her, bewildered. He is surprised by her words, but most of all, by her physical reaction. She is visibly shaking and the stream of tears falling from her eyes doesn't stop. They stare at each other, without breathing. Nothing breaks the silence that has fallen not only in the room, but in the entire office.

Jordan is suddenly assaulted by the urge to bolt out of the room, to escape those grey eyes that are watching her intently with a mixture of curiosity and guilt. Also a hint of amusement. She turns around and runs off.

_I can't believe I just cried in front of him. And that I am running away like a little girl. I never looked this weak, even at my lowest._

She sprints down the stairs not caring about all the people that she bumps into along the way, still crying. She stops running only when she is outside, at the back of the big building. She sits on the curb and breaks down in uncontrollable sobs that rock her whole body, violently shaking her. She thus lets go, frees herself from the stabbing pain in her chest that slowly starts ebbing. The same pain that arises whenever she thinks about her life before the war. She thinks that in this cathartic moment she is alone, away from the world. She can't imagine that Gale is watching her from the window of his room, which has a view on the backyard of the Headquarters. She has her hands on her cheeks and her sobs don't seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. Posy cries just like that when Gale goes back to his small community and leaves his family. She hates seeing her big brother go. Jordan looks just as small and fragile as Posy from Gale's window.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hawthorne!"

Gale jumps up on his stool.

"Have I just caught you off guard?"

"No, I'm just surprised. I didn't think you would actually show up tonight."

"Well, why wouldn't I? It's always good to catch up with a good friend every once in a while."

"It's good to see you Johanna" he says as he leans in to hug her.

"Yeah, yeah don't get too emotional, pretty boy" she says squatting his hands away. Gale laughs. They are in a pub, Johanna taking the stool next to Gale's. He takes a swig from his second beer of the evening.

"I'll have what he's having" she tells the bartender, winking at him in a flirty way. "So, what's cracking?"

Gale chuckles. "Can't complain, what about you?"

"Me either. Oh thank you" She says when the bartender hands her the beer. She takes a very long swig, drinking almost half of the bottle and cleans her lips with her sleeve afterwards. "So, we are going to talk about your new friend Jordan tonight, am I right?"

Gale is taken aback. "How…How do you know?"

" I thought you knew I have superpowers" she says.

"Yeah, like reading minds?"

"That and also others" she says in a low, seductive tone as she playfully winks at him, touching his knee.

"Are you hitting on me now?" Gale chuckles.

" No, I'm just making sure that those girls that have being eyeing you since I got here, over at that table, know that _I_ have your full attention tonight" she playfully says, casually waving at the table.

"How did you know I wanted to talk about her?" Gale repeats.

"She is quick. Quicker than you" she says .

"She talked to you already?"

She smiles knowingly. "You know at first I thought your exact thing about her. But I had to change my mind"

"Where did you meet in the first place? I can't really picture the two of you being friends"

"District 8. A year ago, when she volunteered at the Hospital there. I'll admit, I had prejudices toward her, just like you, but then I heard her story and I saw her working"

"What's her story? Today she yelled about her life not being easy. For me having food three times a day everyday is easy enough" he ironically remarks.

"Again, that's what I thought as well"

"Then what happened to this girl? It can't be worse that what we had to go through, starvation, Games, war, death…" he trails off, his heart aching at the thought of Prim.

"She comes from a very wealthy family from Aileas, I'm sure by now you know. Her father was among the highest ranks of the army and he obviously fought against us in the war. At eighteen she became engaged to some army guy that her father had set up for her, like every girl from that place, she didn't even know him. She never told me but I think she was violent with her too. Her parents' marriage was arranged as well. She has always been very rebellious about the Capitol and the Hunger Games, she got into real trouble when she refused to attend army parties and stand by the Capitol rules in general. Her parents locked her in a mental house for a few months, they even tied her to her bed. She also had a brother, I think his name was Rupert. After the explosion of the Nut the two of them fled Aileas and started working with the rebels, giving priceless inside information about the army that her brother knew very well. He died during the conflict and she was completely alone after it. They were really tight so his death hit her hard. Her parents think she is dead to this day, I believe. Her mom was an amoeba, incapable of thinking with her own brain and didn't stand up for her children, ever. After her brother's death she spent time in the camp hospital of 8 and that's when she decided to become a doctor. And let me tell you, she's got a pair! She looks sweet and tender but the girl knows what she's doing. She can be a handful sometimes, though"

Gale can't speak. He feels a knot in his throat that prevents him from moving, his palms are sweating on the wooden counter.

"That's what I thought" Johanna smirks. "Tomorrow cut her a break, but don't look at her with those eyes because she'll know that I spilled everything and she'll be even more mad than she already is"

"What did she say to you about me?"He asks.

"My lips are sealed" she says as she zips her mouth with her hand.

Gale took a swig from his beer, guilt flooding him.

"Don't think about it too much Gale. You didn't know, I made your same mistake, but she forgave me and she will forgive you too. Just give her the chance to prove how good she is at what she does" she softly adds.

"Mason, when did you become such a wise person?" Gale tries to lighten the mood, not wanting to show her how bad he really feels. "Tell be about you, it's been ages since we last talked like this"

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! **


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